Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Goodyear launches $320 million expansion of its Lawton plant
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced a $320 million, four‑year expansion of its Lawton, Oklahoma facility, boosting capacity by nearly 30 % and adding the ability to produce an extra 10 million tires annually (about 120,000 per day). The upgrade targets higher‑margin, larger‑rim tires for electric vehicles.
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By the numbers: BlackRock acquires 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) recognized eleven women in 2026 for their contributions to robotics, highlighting the growing role of female talent in the sector. Global industrial robot installations are expected to exceed 700,000 units by 2028, driven by a 7% CAGR. Despite women representing over 40% of the global workforce, they remain under‑represented in manufacturing and STEM, with participation below 35% and 30% respectively. The award showcases success stories across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, emphasizing diversity as a catalyst for next‑generation automation.
Texas Instruments announced a partnership with NVIDIA to accelerate safe humanoid robot deployment. The collaboration merges TI’s real‑time motor control, sensing, radar and power technologies with NVIDIA’s Jetson Thor compute and Holoscan ecosystem. A sensor‑fusion solution using TI’s IWR6243 mmWave radar...
Dexterity unveiled Foresight, a physics‑consistent world model and 4D packing agent that powers its dual‑arm robot Mech for autonomous truck loading. The system evaluates up to 400 placement options per box in under 400 ms, optimizing density, stability, reachability and parallelism....
Industrial automation OEMs are abandoning costly hardware variants in favor of software‑driven product differentiation. By consolidating devices onto core platforms and licensing features, manufacturers can slash component, production, and support expenses. Modular licensing—flat‑rate, usage‑based, or hybrid—lets OEMs toggle capabilities, creating...
PTC has embedded cloud‑native Model‑Based Definition (MBD) capabilities into its Onshape CAD and PDM platform, allowing engineers to attach manufacturing data directly to 3D models. The new tools include 3D GD&T annotations, a filterable PMI inspection panel, shareable URL‑based MBD...
Trimble announced that its Roadworks paving control platform will integrate GSSI’s PaveScan RS ground‑penetrating radar sensor. The integration delivers real‑time asphalt compaction metrics, mapping dielectric profiles and air‑void percentages on each pass. Trimble and its SITECH dealer network will also...
Orizon Aerostructures has deployed Flexxbotics’ autonomous manufacturing platform to create a data‑driven, closed‑loop control environment across its aerospace production lines. The integration links CNC machines, FANUC robots, and enterprise PLM systems, feeding multimodal sensor streams into industrial AI for real‑time...
ElasticStage launches an on‑demand vinyl and CD service that lets independent musicians sell physical releases without upfront manufacturing costs or minimum order requirements. The UK‑based platform ships to over 90 countries, producing each record in 10‑15 days using an eco‑friendly...
Manufacturers are boosting cybersecurity budgets, yet a new Macrium‑Newton X study finds cyber incidents account for just 5% of production downtime. The bulk of costly outages stem from internal operational failures—mis‑planned maintenance, configuration errors, and network glitches—creating a widening "recovery gap."...
BMO Capital Markets upgraded Westlake Corp., a U.S. plastics and construction‑materials maker, to Outperform and raised its price target to $127, implying roughly a 20% upside. The upgrade follows the Middle East conflict that has shut down the Strait of...
Ganga Acrowools Limited announced a Rs 750 crore (US $81.85 million) expansion in Punjab, marking the state’s largest recent textile investment. The project will add more than 1,500 jobs to the company’s existing 5,600‑strong workforce and focus on specialised yarns for knitting, weaving, carpets...
Chairman Chetan K. Gowda of Karnataka State Textile Infrastructure Development Corporation has pressed the state government to announce a dedicated textile park in Shivamogga during the upcoming budget. He met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on March 2, submitting a memorandum that highlights...
Sandvik Mining’s mechanical cutting division has shipped the first MC431 continuous miner to Australia after completing factory acceptance testing at its Zeltweg plant in Austria. The MC431 builds on the MC430 platform, which has logged 13 years of service in...
A new Phocas Software report shows 54% of wholesale distributors will overhaul demand forecasting in 2026, seeking more precise, data‑driven inventory control. Nearly half (45%) plan to increase data and warehouse automation, while one‑third aim to deepen product and customer...
UC San Diego Health performed the world’s first fully personalized anterior cervical spine implant, combining high‑resolution imaging, AI‑driven design, and titanium 3D printing. The AI algorithm generated a patient‑specific geometry that matches the vertebral endplates, restores natural lordosis, and optimizes...
Charter Next Generation (CNG), a Chicago‑based sustainable material science firm, has become an associate member of the US Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI). The partnership positions CNG to share its expertise in sustainable film design and to help expand domestic markets...
Hormel Foods reported a sharp rise in transportation expenses during Q1, driven by a severe freight capacity crunch after Winter Storm Fern slashed shipment volumes by 55% in late January. Spot freight rates climbed as driver availability tightened, extending pressure...
North American fleets placed 47,200 Class 8 truck orders in February, a 159% year‑over‑year jump and the strongest monthly total since September 2022. The surge, driven by both on‑highway and vocational demand, marks the third consecutive month of double‑digit YoY growth. Analysts...
UNION Technologies and Firehawk Aerospace have partnered to merge UNION’s software‑defined manufacturing platform with Firehawk’s high‑throughput energetics and propulsion capabilities, focusing on the 155 mm artillery supply chain. The joint effort seeks to close the integration gap between forged metal parts...
Costamare added four more 3,100 teu vessels to its Chinese newbuilding programme, bringing total orders for that size to ten. Deliveries are scheduled between Q4 2027 and Q4 2028, each with medium‑term charter agreements secured at signing. The expansion marks the company’s re‑entry...
Marsun has joined the Thai Shipbuilding and Repairing Association and eight domestic shipyards in signing a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate large‑scale naval construction projects. The partnership pools expertise in shipbuilding, systems integration and engineering to prepare for the Royal...
Wabash unveiled a cargo‑assurance platform at Manifest 2026 that turns the trailer into a secure, connected system, leveraging its 2025 TrailerHawk.AI acquisition. The solution combines a physical lock, a mobile app digital seal, and multi‑factor driver, tractor, carrier and insurance...
Volvo Penta and Canadian distributor Wajax have delivered the first Volvo‑Penta‑powered underground mining machine for MacLean Engineering to a Quebec site. The collaboration, rooted in a partnership dating back to 1988, leverages Volvo Penta’s D5 Tier 3 and Stage V off‑road engines...
At PDAC 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo unveiled a strategy to convert its vast mineral endowment into an industrial engine, emphasizing local processing and value‑addition. The government highlighted a $29 billion Iron Mines of the Great East corridor, upcoming...
The White House has publicly urged Pentagon contractors to "rapidly and aggressively" increase weapons production to support Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign aimed at countering Iran. President Donald Trump personally pressed defense firms to accelerate output, despite Pentagon officials asserting that...
German recycler equipment maker Vecoplan will launch its VES 3300 e‑mobile shredder at the IFAT trade fair in Munich (May 4‑7). The mobile unit features plug‑and‑play drive technology, allowing immediate operation without installation. Vecoplan will also showcase its VAZ 1700 shredder, a...
iRobot, the pioneer of consumer robotics, saw its revenue peak at $1.56 billion in 2021 before facing intense price competition from low‑cost Chinese rivals. In August 2022 Amazon announced a $1.7 billion cash offer to acquire iRobot, aiming to integrate Roomba’s home‑mapping...
Estonian shipowner Amisco has placed an order for two 5,900‑dwt multipurpose dry cargo vessels from Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry in China. Steel cutting for the first hull began in February 2026, with deliveries slated for the first and second quarters...
Spend Matters has named Boston‑based Tamarin AI to its Future 5 list for 2025‑2026, highlighting the startup’s AI‑native category‑management copilot. Tamarin unifies structured and unstructured spend data, delivering line‑item level cleaning, categorization, and real‑time contract‑spend reconciliation. The platform promises to cut...
Airbus has installed a Norsk Titanium Merke IV Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) machine at its Varel, Germany plant, launching a joint process‑development partnership. The collaboration will evaluate Direct Energy Deposition (DED) manufacturing controls and validation data to shift from part‑specific qualification...
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems will conduct a live demonstration of an infrastructure‑based ramp‑merging support system for autonomous vehicles on Tokyo’s Metropolitan Expressway. The trial, scheduled for September to November 2026 near the Yoyogi inbound entrance, will test how roadside...
Researchers unveiled SOLen, a fully 3D‑printed soft optical sensor that embeds a miniature lens to guide light through an elastomeric waveguide for mechanosensing. By routing light internally, the device measures pressure, stretch and shear without metal traces, reducing drift, hysteresis...
Ursa Major announced the successful hot‑fire of its upgraded Hadley H13 liquid rocket engine, marking the first flight test of the latest variant. The company has integrated additive manufacturing across roughly 80% of the engine’s parts, streamlining production and cutting...
PAL Robotics used Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026 to showcase its next‑generation mobile manipulator, TIAGo Pro. The robot’s open‑source software stack and real‑time teleoperation demo highlighted its adaptability for research and industry deployments. CEO Francesco Ferro led a round‑table on human‑robot...
HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding arm, HD KSOE, has selected Siemens’ Xcelerator platform to create an integrated digital shipbuilding environment. The platform will provide a unified data backbone linking CAD, PLM, digital manufacturing, automation and simulation, eliminating data discontinuities from design through...
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is turning smart factories from concept to reality, linking sensors, edge devices, AI analytics and cloud platforms across production lines. Real‑time data enables predictive maintenance, automated workflows and energy optimization, driving higher productivity while trimming...
A South Korean ruling‑party lawmaker warned that the escalating US‑Israel war with Iran could jeopardize the supply of essential semiconductor materials, particularly helium, which is critical for heat management in chip fabrication. The Korean chip sector, responsible for roughly two‑thirds...
Almanac Ventures, founded by deep‑tech scientist Jo Slota‑Newson and finance‑focused Marc Sabas, invests seed‑stage deep‑tech solutions for industrial decarbonisation across Europe. They target technologies that improve performance, lower costs, and cut emissions in complex, capital‑intensive sectors that account for 75%...
Nvidia is redirecting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) production capacity away from chips destined for the Chinese market after U.S. export controls limited its sales. The chipmaker is prioritising higher‑margin data‑center and automotive GPUs for customers outside China, while TSMC...
Railroads gathered on Capitol Hill to push a modernized 45G tax credit, which reimburses 40% of rail infrastructure spending up to $3,500 per mile. The industry cites more than $8 billion in investments and a 50% reduction in derailments since the...
In August 2025, NIST, NOAA and biotech firm Rhodium launched seven reference materials—including cholesterol, house dust and a freeze‑dried human liver—on a Falcon 9 to the International Space Station. Six of the samples are NIST standard reference materials (SRMs) that meet...
AW‑Lake has launched the TH Series high‑accuracy turbine flow meter, targeting demanding industrial liquid‑flow applications. The meter delivers laboratory‑grade accuracy of ±0.5% and repeatability as tight as ±0.1% thanks to precision machining and stainless‑steel construction. Designed for low‑viscosity fluids, it...
Standards Australia amended AS/NZS 60335.2.7 to mandate a dual‑action start mechanism for washing machines sold in Australia and New Zealand from July 2026. The change, driven by child‑safety incidents such as the 2021 Christchurch tragedy, requires two distinct user inputs before a cycle...
#Technology #Thread #Semiconductor #Manufacturing #Roadmap The Semiconductor Die And Package Roadmap: 1/ - When I Wrote About Integrating The Semiconductor Die And Package Roadmap. - The Observation Was That The Industry Was Treating Silicon And Packaging As Separate Planning Tracks - But Future Semiconductor...
Software that helps hardware companies in the defense, space, energy and automotive industries streamline their manufacturing processes. Nominal's @CameronLMcCord and FF's @traestephens join us on the show today.
The Australian Defence Department has launched domestic production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) at a new facility in Port Wakefield, South Australia. The first batch of missiles is slated for completion by mid‑March 2026, marking the first GMLRS...
South Korea. Supply of LNG at critical. Impact on people and manufacturing. The regional Middle East war is becoming a global supply chain risk.
When nine justices can redirect global supply chains overnight, it’s fair to ask whether the Court’s structure still fits the modern economy. #SupplyChain #GlobalTrade https://t.co/N2tgQ7sgEX https://t.co/kCnjdrx0CX
The Australian Aluminium Council released an L.E.K. Consulting report urging policy reform to unlock large‑scale clean aluminium recycling. While recycling consumes only about five percent of the energy required for primary production, high energy costs, tight scrap margins and fragmented...
Reuters: Top Chinese semiconductor executives have called for a coordinated national effort to develop operational lithography systems during the 2026-2030 period, underlining Beijing's push for greater technological self-reliance. @lauriechenwords https://t.co/uab1DaTkwQ
